Propylene Fractionation
Our propylene fractionation business consists primarily of two propylene fractionation facilities located in Texas and Louisiana and propylene pipeline systems aggregating approximately 579 miles. These operations also include an export facility located on the Houston Ship Channel and our petrochemical marketing activities.
In general, propylene fractionation plants separate refinery grade propylene (a mixture of propane and propylene) into either polymer grade propylene or chemical grade propylene along with by-products of propane and mixed butane. Polymer grade and chemical grade propylene can also be produced as a by-product of olefin (ethylene) production. The demand for polymer grade propylene primarily relates to the manufacture of polypropylene, which has a variety of end uses, including packaging film, fiber for carpets and upholstery and molded plastic parts for appliance, automotive, houseware and medical products. Chemical grade propylene is a basic petrochemical used in the manufacturing of plastics, synthetic fibers and foams.
Propylene Fractionation Facilities
| Facility | Ownership Interest at December 31, 2008 | Gross Capacity (MBPD) | Net Capacity (MBPD) | |
| Mont Belvieu, TX: (6 units) | ||||
| Polymer Grade | Various(1) | 87 | 73 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA: | ||||
| Chemical Grade | 30.0% (2) | 23 | 7 | |
| Total Capacity | 110 | 80 | ||
(1) Enterprise owns a 54.6% interest and lease the remaining 45.4% of a unit having 17 MBPD of plant capacity. We own a 66.7% interest in three additional units having 41 MBPD of total plant capacity. We own 100% of the remaining two facilities, which have 14 MBPD and 15 MBPD of plant capacity, respectively.
(2) Our interest in this facility is held indirectly through our equity method investment in Baton Rouge Propylene Concentrator LLC (“BRPC”).